Safety means in traveling roller bed and cylinder printing machines



3,301,180 DER Jan. 31, 1967 w. AEHLIG SAFETY MEANS IN TRAVELING ROLLER BED AND CYLIN PRINTING MACHINES Filed Oct. 23, 1963 Fly. 7

ADDRESS Pb! 75 United States Patent C SAFETY MEANS IN TRAVELING ROLLER BED AND CYLINDER PRINTING MACHINES Werner Aehlig, Berlin, Germany, assignor to Adrerna- Werke G.m.b.H., Berlin, Germany Filed Oct. 23, 1963, Ser. No. 318,375 Claims priority, application Germany, Oct. 26, 1962, A 41,480 12 Claims. (Cl. 101-269) The invention relates to a device for controlling an impression roller, particularly the impression roller of an addressing machine havinga carrier the to and fro movement of which causes the impression roller, moving with the carrier, to revolve through means of a drive mechanism and be lowered to or retracted from the material receiving the impression, according to the direction of movement of the carrier.

The present invention is incorporated with a machine which operates with address printing plates wherein the plates are successively directed therethrough past the printin zone where printing is to be effected by means of an impression roller, and a machine of such type is shown in Patent No. 2,070,549 to Hueber dated February 9, 1937.

As is well known, with such a printing machine during the period in which the address rinting plate is in the rest position (ready for printing), the impression roller is guided across a sheet or like component arranged upon the printing plate with such sheet being adapted to be provided with the desired printing. During the operation of the machine, the operator may unintentionally place a finger in the path of movement of the impression roller which, of course, may result in a serious injury.

Another similar structure is seen in the Hueber Patent No. 2,104,863.

With the known devices for controlling the impression roller, a guided pawl is provided as a finger protector for controlling the printing means.

The salient object of the invention is to provide a device for controlling an impression roller that is very simple in construction and reliable in operation, of the type described in the first paragraph above, wherein an object, such as a finger, in the path of the impression rolls results in the immediate raising of the impression roller from the printing surface, thereby assuring a satisfactory finger guard.

A fundamental feature of the invention is thatthe driving mechanism includes two levers forming an elbow lever arrangement, one of which levers is pivotally mounted on the carrier and the other of which is pivotally mounted on a link supporting the impression roller and carried by the carrier, the link holding the impression roller in its lowered position when the elbow lever arrangement is straightened, and that a guard member is operably associated with the elbow lever connected to the link for the purpose of contacting an object, bending the elbow arrangement, and raising the impression roller when the roller approaches the impediment. In a particularly advantageous manner the elbow lever connected to the link is provided With an arm port-ion extending beyond the pivot point on the link and which carries the guard member. Moreover, the guard member comprises a bar extending parallel to the axis, and substantially along the entire length of the impression roller.

3,301,180 Patented Jan. 31, 1967 An additional fundamental feature of the invention is that a switching rail is rigidly arranged in the machine housing and cooperates with a rocker arm pivotally mounted on the movable carriage,-and which rocker arm moves the elbow lever arrangement to a bent position against the force of areturn spring during the return movement of the carriage.

An object of the invention is to provide means for controlling an impression roller, which means is very simple in construction yet positive and reliable in operation.

. Further details, advantages, features, and objects of the invention will be apparent from the following description, and with reference to the drawing, in which:

. FIG. 1 is a perspective schematic side view of the printing bail arm of an addressing machine, with the impression roller retracted;

FIG. 2 is a view similar to FIG. 1 of the printing bail arm, with the impression roller lowered;

FIG. 3 is a view showing a part of the device for controlling the impression roller, when the latter approaches an object; and

FIG. 4 is a general perspective viewof an entire machine specifically showing the location of the guard bar.

As shown in FIGURES 1 and 2, the printing bail arm of on addressing machine has a carrier 1 adapted to be driven back and forth in a guide rail 2. A toothed wheel 3 mounted on the carrier 1 meshes with a toothed rack 4 rigid wih the bail arm. The side of the toothed wheel 3 carries a pin 5 adapted to cooperate with a link 6 mounted to turn about an axle 9 which constitutes the axis of wheel 3. The carrier 1 is further provided with an elbow lever arrangement L, which includes first and second levers 7 and 8 pivoted on link 6 and carrier 1 at 7 and 8 respectively. An impression roller 10 rigidly connected .with a toothed wheel meshing with a toothed wheel 11 rigid with toothed wheel 3, is mounted at the free end of link 6. Toothed wheel 11 is monuted on the axle 9 and is concentric with respect to the toothed wheel 3. Between the lever 8 and the carrier 1 is provided a return spring 12 under tension for the purpose of holding the elbow levers 7,

and 8 in a straightened position (FIGURE, 2.). A rocker arm 13 or riding means having rollers 14 and 15 mounted on its extended arms is pivotally mounted on carrier 1 under the influence of a return spring 13' that holds the rock-.

er arm in a neutral central positionv Associated with the rocker arm 13 in the printing bail arm is a surface means or switching rail 16 having at its respective ends inclined faces or surfaces 17 and 17. As will be later described, the rocker arm 13 cooperates with the inclined faces 17 and 17' of the switching rail 16 during movement of the carrier 1. The lever 8 is provided with an arm portion 18 which functions as a switching arm and cooperates with the roller 15 of the rocker arm 13. Beyond pivot point 20 on link 6, the lever 7 carries a guard bar 19 that extends parallel to the axis of the roller 10.

The impression roller control device operates as follows.

In the position of the carrier 1 shown in FIGURE 1, pin 5 of the toothed wheel 3 is located against the link 6 the impression roller 10 is held in its retracted position because the elbow lever arrangement L is held in its bent position against the tension of the return spring 12. When the carrier 1 advances, the toothed wheel 3 revolving in the direction of the arrow moves along the toothed rack 4, with the pin 5 moving with the wheel 3. The link 6 follows the movement of the pin 5, while at the same time the spring 12 relaxes until the elbow lever arrangement is straightened. The toothed wheel of the impression roller 10 which meshes with toothed wheel 11 revolves in the direction of the arrow and the impression roller 10 now in its lowered position coacts with the sheet and printing plate to produce an impression.

During the forward movement of the carrier 1, the roller 14 of the rocker arm 13 engages the inclined face 17 of the switching rail 16 and slides along the rail, the rocker'arrn 13 rotating against the tension of the spring 13'. As soon as carrier 1 reaches the end of its forward movement, the spring 13' returns the rocker arm 13 to its neutral central position, as shown'in FIGURE 2 and roller 14 is located in proximity to the inclined face 17' of the switching rail 16. Roller 15 of the rocker arm 13 is located opposite the arm portion 18 of lever 8 and during the return movement of the carrier 1, roller 14 encounters inclined face 17' thus pivoting the rocker arm 13 counter clockwise, whereby roller 15 moves the elbow lever arrangement L to a bent position (FIGURE 1). During the return movement of the carrier 1, the toothed wheel 3 turns in the direction of the arrow in FIGURE 2, and the impression roller 10 consequently is located in the retracted position.

Immediately before the carrier 1 reaches the end posi tion shown in FIGURE 1, the pin 5 comes into position against link 6 for holding the elbow lever arrangement in its bent position, after the rocker arm 13 and its roller 14 have left the track 16 and the arm under the infiuence of the return spring 13' resumes its central position shown in FIGURE 1.

Should, during the printing operation, an object be located in the path of the guard bar 19 situated in front of the impression roller 10, the resulting force against the bar 19 causes the lever 7 to pivot and the link 6 to be turned in the direction of the arrow of FIGURE 3. The impression roller is thereby retracted and in this position can bear upon the object with only such force as is determined by the tension of the return spring 12.

'le there has been described what is considered to be the preferred embodiment of the invention, it will be obvious to those skilled in the art that modifications can be made therein without departing therefrom; and the appended claims are intended to cover all such modifications as fall within the true scope of the invention.

What I claim is:

1. Means for controlling an impression roller for use with a printing plate having a sheet thereon, including: carrier means for moving-said impression roller forward and backward over the sheet between first and second end positions; means for supporting said impression roller; means for pivotally mounting said. supportingmeans on said carrier means; bendable link means bendable between an elongated position and bent positions and biased to said elongated position; further means pivotally as sociated' with said supporting means and said bendable link means, whereby when said bendable link means is in said elongated position, said impression roller contacts said sheet and when said bendable link means is bent to a bent position, said impression roller is correspondingly raised from said sheet; and guard means supported by said bendable link means and located'in front of said impression roller for contacting an object in the path of said impression roller and causing said bendable link means to bend thereby raising said impression roller from said sheet, said guard means being parallel to the axis of and substantially the same length as said impression roller.

' 2. The controlling means as claimed in claim 1, wherein said bendable link means comprises pivotally connected first and second lever means, said first lever means being pivotally mounted by said further means and extending to a positionin front of said impression roller for carrying said guard means; additional means for pivotally mounting said second lever means on said carrier means; and resilient means for biasing said first and second lever means to said elongated position.

3. The controlling means as claimed in claim 1, including a surface means mounted stationary with respect to said carrier means; riding means for contacting and riding over said surface means during movement of said carrier means except when said carrier means is at said first and second end positions; means for pivotally mounting said riding means on said carrier means; resilient means for biasing said riding means to a first position when said riding means is not in contact with saidsurface means, said riding means pivoting to one side of said first position when contacting said surface means during the forward movement of said carrier means and to the other side when contacting said surface means during the backward movement of said carrier means; means associated with said riding means and responsive to said pivoting to said other side for contacting and bending said bendable link means during the backward movement of said carrier means thereby bending said bendable link means from said elongated position to abent position to raise said impression roller from said sheet.

4. The controlling means as claimed in claim 2, including a surface means mounted stationary with respect to said carrier means; riding means for contacting and riding over said surface means during movement of said carrier means except when said carrier is at said first and second end positions; means for pivotally mounting said riding means on said carrier means; resilient means for biasing said riding means to a first position when said riding means is not in contact with said surface means, said riding means pivoting to one side of said first position when contacting said surface means during the forward movement of said carrier means and to the other side when contacting said surface means during the back- Ward movement of said carrier means; means associated with said riding means and responsive to said pivoting to said other side for contacting and causing said second lever means to pivot about said additional means, thereby bending said bendable link means, during the backward movement of said carrier means from said elongated position to a bent position to raise said impression roller from said sheet.

5. The controlling means as claimed in claim 3, wherein said surface means is a rail having first and second end inclined faces and said riding means has a first surface means for contacting said rail and said means associated with said-riding means is a second surface means for contacting said second lever means.

. 6. The controlling means as claimed in claim 5, wherein at least said first surface means is a roller means.

7. The controlling means as claimed in claim 4, wherein said surface means is a rail 'havin-g first and second end inclined faces and said riding means has a first surface means for contacting said rail and said means associated with said riding means is a second surface means for contacting'said second lever means.

8. The means of claim 7, wherein at least said first surface means is a roller means.

9. The controlling means as claimed in claim 3, including a wheel rotatably mounted on said carrier means and rotating in one direction when said carrier means moves forward and in the opposite direction when said carrier means moves backward; a pin rigidly mounted on said wheel and turning therewith whereby when said carrier means is in its first end position said pin abuts against said supporting means for the impression roller for holding said bendable link means in a bent position, and when said carrier means moves forward said pin is rotated by said Wheel away from said supporting means.

10. The controlling means as claimed in claim 8, including a wheel rotatably mounted on said carrier means and rotating in one direction when said carrier means moves forward and in the opposite direction when said carrier means moves backward; a pin rigidly mounted on said wheel and turning therewith whereby when said carrier means is in its first end position said 'pin abuts against said supporting means for the impression roller for holding said bendable link means in a bent position, and when said carrier means moves forward said pin is rotated by said first wheel means away from said supporting means.

11. The controlling means as claimed in claim 10, wherein said means for pivotally mounting said supporting means rotat-ably mounts said wheel means for causing said wheel to rotate when said carrier means moves; and a wheel coaxial with said impression roller for rotating when said first named wheel rotates.

12. The controlling means as claimed in claim 11, including a further wheel coaxial with said first named wheel and rotating with said first named wheel, and

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,919,954 7/1933 K-ranz l()l274 2,070,549 2/1937 Hueber 10l56 2,104,863 1/1938 Hueber l01274 2,765,734 10/1956 Wagner l0156 2,775,936 1/1957 Curtis 101269 WILLIAM B. PENN, Primary Examiner. 

1. MEANS FOR CONTROLLING AN IMPRESSION ROLLER FOR USE WITH A PRINTING PLATE HAVING A SHEET THEREON, INCLUDING: CARRIER MEANS FOR MOVING SAID IMPRESSION ROLLER FORWARD AND BACKWARD OVER THE SHEET BETWEEN FIRST AND SECOND END POSITIONS; MEANS FOR SUPPORTING SAID IMPRESSION ROLLER; MEANS FOR PIVOTALLY MOUNTING SAID SUPPORTING MEANS ON SAID CARRIER MEANS; BENDABLE LINK MEANS BENDABLE BETWEEN AN ELONGATED POSITION AND BENT POSITIONS AND BIASED TO SAID ELONGATED POSITION; FURTHER MEANS PIVOTALLY ASSOCIATED WITH SAID SUPPORTING MEANS AND SAID BENDABLE LINK MEANS, WHEREBY WHEN SAID BENDABLE LINK MEANS IS IN SAID ELONGATED POSITION, SAID IMPRESSION ROLLER CONTACTS SAID SHEET AND WHEN SAID BENDABLE LINK MEANS IS BENT TO A BENT POSITION, SAID IMPRESSION ROLLER IS CORRESPONDINGLY RAISED FROM SAID SHEET; AND GUARD MEANS SUPPORTED BY SAID BENDABLE LINK MEANS AND LOCATED IN FRONT OF SAID IMPRESSION ROLLER FOR CONTACTING AN OBJECT IN THE PATH OF SAID IMPRESSION ROLLER AND CAUSING SAID BENDABLE LINK MEANS TO BEND THEREBY RAISING SAID IMPRESSION ROLLER FROM SAID SHEET, SAID GUARD MEANS BEING PARALLEL TO THE AXIS OF AND SUBSTANTIALLY THE SAME LENGTH AS SAID IMPRESSION ROLLER. 